The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Granatieri di Napoli" established on 15 April 1861 with the 5th and 6th grenadier regiments. On 5 March 1871 the brigade was assigned to the infantry and renamed Brigade "Napoli". On the same date brigade's two regiments were renamed 75th Infantry Regiment and 76th Infantry Regiment.
Brigade "Brescia", and
Brigade "Salerno" to the
Western Front in
France. There the brigades fought in the
Third Battle of the Aisne,
Second Battle of the Marne, Battle of Saint-Thierry, and the
Hundred Days Offensive. On 18 November 1926 the brigade and the
76th Infantry Regiment "Napoli" were disbanded, while the
75th Infantry Regiment "Napoli" was assigned to the
XXIX Infantry Brigade. On 15 April 1939 the 54th Infantry Division "Napoli" was activated in
Caltanissetta, which received the 75th Infantry Regiment "Napoli" from the
29th Infantry Division "Piemonte" and the 76th Infantry Regiment "Napoli" from the
28th Infantry Division "Aosta". On the same date the division received the reactivated the 54th Artillery Regiment, which was given the name "Napoli".
World War II In 1940, the Napoli division was deployed in southern
Sicily, with garrisons in
Caltagirone,
Piazza Armerina and
Mirabella Imbaccari. In 1941 it was re-deployed focusing on coastal defence in the area of
Pozzallo-
Gela-
Licata. On the day of the Allied landings on 10 July 1943, the Napoli engaged in fighting south of
Noto, while its northern group fought at
Lentini and
Brucoli. When British forces attacked
Floridia from the Ponte Diddino road, the Italian forces soon started to fail, despite heavy fighting on the mountaintop positions north of
Solarino. On the second day of the campaign, on 12 July 1943, the British captured
Floridia and the entirety of the 75th Infantry Regiment as it was attempting to withdraw from the town. Meanwhile, the division's southern group had made contact with an advancing battalion of the
Durham Light Infantry on 12 July on the road between
Palazzolo Acreide and
Floridia. Its attacks, using infantry and five tanks, were repelled by British artillery and anti-tank fire. By 12 July 1943, the division had managed to stabilize the front-line at
Palazzolo Acreide-
Solarino-
Priolo Gargallo. By 13 July 1943, the new Allied landing north of
Augusta outflanked the division, and inflicted heavy casualties. Destruction continued on 14 July 1943, as remnants of division fought a rear-guard battle at
Scordia to protect other units retreating from
Caltagirone and
Vizzini. It has been estimated that the division lost up to eighty-percent of its effectiveness soon after its initial contact with British forces. The remnants of the Napoli Division were absorbed into the incoming
Panzer Division "Hermann Göring", with which they fought some small rearguard battles on 16–24 July 1943. On 25 July 1943, the Napoli division tried to reform at
Linguaglossa, but it became apparent that its cut-off subunits had either been destroyed or captured by the Allies, so the attempt to reform was abandoned and the remaining personnel were ordered to
Messina, from where it was evacuated to Southern Italy on 11–14 August 1943. The division was dissolved immediately after the evacuation had ended on 14 August 1943. == Organization ==